 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Add one more hero to the list
By MONIQUE FIELDS, Times Staff Writer CLEARWATER -- When New York City firefighters learned their Clearwater comrades wanted to give some of them a vacation, they couldn't help but bring along Larry McElroy. McElroy, 47, is a hulk of a man. Standing 6 feet 2 and weighing 280 pounds, he easily bench presses 350 pounds. Despite his formidable size, his buddies say he's a gentle, stand-up guy with a huge heart. Professionally, McElroy is a steamfitter. To these firefighters, he's a childhood friend. To Americans, he symbolizes the enduring spirit of this nation. Torches in hand, McElroy spent countless hours cutting through twisted and tangled steel with his fire. His goal: free the fallen from the rubble and debris of the World Trade Center. "There's a lot of people who don't get credit for being there: steamfitters, electricians, carpenters," said Kevin Shannon of Ladder 121 in Rockaway Beach, N.Y. "I would say we were working side by side with them." Shannon is one of a group of 11 firefighters and eight wives who arrived Thursday at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport on Southeast Airlines. McElroy rounded out the group. They were invited to escape the images of Sept. 11. They watched dogs silently sit when they found a body or scratch when they smelled a survivor. They marked impromptu graves at ground zero with American flags and stood silently in salute of those who didn't make it. Families of the dead strengthen their resolve to complete their difficult task. "You want to get each of the bodies back for the wives, the families, the mothers," said Jim Healy of Engine 265. While here, the groups have received star treatment, from massages to deep-sea fishing to amusement parks. Jim Hoblick of Clearwater came up with the idea of bringing the firefighters. He wanted to offer them rest. He teamed up with Dan Dennehy, owner of the Bay Queen Motel, who along with David Hogan, secretary treasurer of Local 1158 of the Clearwater Fire Fighters Association, coordinated a loose calendar of activities. The effort, dubbed the Clearwater Rescue and Recovery Rest and Relaxation project, won't end when the firefighters return home this morning. Organizers intend to bring others and think more cities should follow suit. "We want to challenge Orlando, Daytona Beach, Miami and Boca Raton to rise up and do the same thing," Hogan said. The wives and children of firefighters and police officers who died during the attack received similar star treatment on this trip. They were sponsored by a group organized by Edward Mazur Jr., president of Florida Design Consultants. McElroy is thankful someone thought about him. "We grew up helping each other; and to this day, we still do," he said. Truth is, there wasn't really any way his friends could have left him at home. He's the strongest man they know. He's the one who would give them the shirt off his back. And he's the one who stood up for them when they were just teenagers. "He was the protector," said Joey Moore of Ladder 21 in Manhattan. "He would chase the bigger guys away. When the older crew would come, he would step in front." The firefighters' wives speak highly of him, too. "He would do anything for you. That's his MO," said Maureen Shannon. "If you know him, you love him."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times North Pinellas desks |
